The University invested £550,000 in the City Campus Library Basement in 2014/15 to transform the outdated dark interior into a vibrant, bright and airy study space.
Our attention turned to the basement following the successful refurbishment of Coach Lane Campus Library in 2011, the City Campus Library first floor extension and the upgrade of floors 1-6 of the City Campus Library.
New Design
The design of the new library basement was heavily influenced by feedback from Northumbria University students. This allowed the team to preserve the highly favoured social characteristics of the basement whilst increasing the amount of usable space by 87%.
Much more space, more relaxing, more computers
The basement has been completely transformed by adding over 100 extra study spaces (350 total), 8 additional bookable study rooms and 40 new computer workstations. ‘Plug and play’ collaborative screens and whiteboards have been added to allow for more sociable study.
The students can also take advantage of the new self-service secure lockers, bespoke recycling points and an improved shop. This allows students to come and go between classes and use the basement as a secure and comfortable focal point for their studies.
Sustainability/CarbonManagement Key Points:
- New LED Lighting saves 7.7 tonnes of carbon per annum.
- 2,831 operative hours were worked safely throughout the project, whilst the main library remained open throughout the construction period.
- 47.9 tonnes of waste were removed with 64% being recycled.
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